Otane residential centre ‘a natural part of the community’
Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga says a female residential centre it is establishing in Otane under contract to the Department of Corrections is intended to become “a natural part of the community”.
Hastings-based TToH says a Housing NZ property known as Te Waireka will be home to a programme designed to equip wāhine residents with the skills and practical supports they need to live healthy, constructive lives.
It says each wāhine in the new E Hine programme will benefit from a personalised, wraparound programme of personal development. This support will continue even after they complete the programme.
E Hine will be a combination of group therapies, life skills such as budgeting, cooking, fitness and nutrition; cultural activities including te reo classes; and learning to set and achieve their own life goals, TToH says.
The organisation’s chief executive George Reedy says E Hine will be a game-changer.
“So often, people fall through the cracks because the odds are completely stacked against them. Then it becomes harder for them to put everything back together.”
Te Waireka will be open to wāhine who meet eligibility criteria and pass a selection process to ensure the E Hine programme is the right one for them.
The programme has been specifically designed to help them develop a solid foundation of life skills, knowledge and confidence on which they can build fulfilling lives.
There will be up to 12 wāhine in residence at any given time, with each one staying six months.
The homestead will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Visitors will be allowed only at designated times, to ensure the routines and daily activities at Te Waireka are not unduly interrupted.
Mr Reedy said Te Waireka, which is currently undergoing extensive refurbishment, was the perfect location for the E Hine programme.
“It’s peaceful and secluded. There’s plenty of space for the therapeutic community to function without interruption. It will enable the residents to fully immerse themselves in the programme and get the most from it,” he said.
Otane itself will benefit from E Hine, with the creation of 10 new jobs in the township. Further down the line, residents will be invited to share their skills and knowledge with the wāhine at Te Waireka.
“The intention of E Hine is for it to become a natural part of the community. That’s what this programme is ultimately about – healthy communities,” said Mr Reedy.
TToH, established in 1985, is an award-winning organisation, widely acknowledged for its success in working alongside whānau across wider Hawke’s Bay for the past 33 years.
Now with 300 staff, TToH offers a wide range of health, social and education support to people and communities along the East Coast, from Mahia to Rimutaka.
